Live to the End
by Sadame XX
Summary: A 'The Prince of Tennis' ficlet. Contains shounen ai/yaoi as well as hints of various pairings in later chapters. [In progress]
1. Act 1: First Step

Notes: The idea for this fic came to me when I was doodling over an Inui/Kaidou drawing.

This fic contains shounen ai(male/male love), and quite possibly yaoi(male/male relationships), a fair amount of violence scattered here and there. Proceed at your own risk. Also, I'd like to point out that the characters might be OOC, given that I haven't read much of the manga; I've only seen the anime.

This fic is specially dedicated to my new friend, SIB. 

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the series. 

* * *

**Live to the End **

**Act 1:  First Step (Much to Kaidou's dismay...)**

Spring had just begun. The cherry blossoms were blooming in their finest on the trees all around Seigaku's training center. It was truly a sight for sore eyes. At least for Eiji Kikumaru. He breathed a contented sigh at the pure bliss of the cool refreshing wind, his back against the soft grass, resting comfortably under a tree. 

_This is pure heaven..._, he thought inwardly, just before a tennis ball landed right on his face and onto the ground. "Itee!" Kikumaru abruptly opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing his nose, which was turning slightly red at where the ball had hit him. "Who the heck did that?!"

A piercing chortle followed, and Syuichiro Oishi emerged from behind the tree. "Got'cha there, huh?" 

"Oishi! You!" Kikumaru stood up, waving his fist, which was clenched tight, in a threatening way.

The black-haired young man raised his hands in surrender, although a smile was still playing along his lips. "Hey, hey, Eiji. Cool down, will ya? It was just a joke."

Kikumaru snorted and folded his arms across his chest. "Don't you have anything better to do other than trying to flatten my face with a tennis ball?"

"The thought amuses me." laughed Oishi as he bent down to pick the ball up.

Letting his gaze wander around, Kikumaru inquired curiously, "Where are the rest?" 

"Back in the hall. It's our break-time now, so I assume they're in the cafeteria or something." Oishi turned towards the hall. "You coming?"

Kikumaru shot him a mock frown, walking up beside his friend. "I would've been better off napping under the tree if you hadn't come and assaulted me."

"Assaulted you?" Oishi exclaimed, a tad hurt. "That's a harsh way to put it. You aren't in severe pain or anything, are you?"

"No, but I might as well be."

Oishi halted in his tracks and turned to face Kikumaru, who looked up at him questioningly. Leaning in to invade a bit of Kikumaru's private space, his gaze holding the other boy's, Oishi muttered, "You intrigue me. Especially when you've got that hots upon your shoulders."

_Haaa?_ Kikumaru could only blink with unfeigned bewilderment at Oishi's odd statement. _What on earth does he mean by that?_

But before Kikumaru could comprehend what Oishi had just said, the other boy pulled back and added, "I'm gonna gobble up all the red bean buns there are in the cafeteria if you don't hurry!" before running off gleefully, knowing pretty well that Eiji loves red bean buns. 

"Ah! Hey! Don't eat them all, you greedy thing!" Kikumaru shouted, dashing after him.

~ ~ ~

"More coffee?" a bright voice chirped.

Kunimitsu Tezuka averted his attention from the scenery of cherry blossom trees through the window to the voice. "Aa. Thanks."

Syusuke Fuji flashed one of his blindingly bright smiles and poured more of the bitter liquid into Tezuka's cup from a jug. 

"But you know," Ryoma Echizen began, crossing his arms over the back of his head and leaning his full weight on the seat beside Momoshiro and Kawamura. "I'd never would've thought that Fuji would take a part-time job as a waiter in the cafeteria."

"Neither did I. Innnterrressstiiing, though~!" Takashi Kawamura grinned, scooping up some yogurt. "Well, with a smile like his, which cafeteria owner could decline his offer?"

"Hmm, true. Even that apron-like outfit kinda suits him." Takeshi Momoshiro agreed, watching Fuji proceed to refill the coffee jug. Tezuka merely sipped his coffee and said nothing. 

All of a sudden, the door burst open and Oishi ran in with Kikumaru behind him, screaming incoherently. Oishi slowed down halfway to the counter, where the red bean buns were piled up in a tray, and let Kikumaru overtake him. Echizen, Momoshiro and Kawamura blinked wordlessly at the scene, wondering what the commotion was all about. Their eyes widened imperceptibly when Kikumaru started stuffing the buns into his mouth as if the last time he'd eaten was three days ago.

"What's up with you two?" Momoshiro asked when the 'Golden Pair' approached them; both breathing heavily from running so much. 

"It was all Oishi's fault!" was all Kikumaru could manage out between pants as he gestured towards his partner.

"And he blames me," Oishi said. "Same old, same old."

"Kikumaru," Tezuka broke in, silencing both of them. "Our practise session is less than an hour away. Be prepared."

Kikumaru nodded obediently and sauntered off. 

"Oishi," Tezuka said, sternly. "You're the vice-captain of the team. Behave."

"I'm sorry, Tezuka." apologized Oishi, before going off after Kikumaru.

"By the way," Momoshiro spoke up. "Where are Inui and Kaidou?"

Kawamura wiped his yogurt-stained mouth with a napkin before replying, "Ohhh~ I heard Kaidou's gone to his favourite place under the bridge to practise, and Inui's off to see him or somethin' like that."

"To give Kaidou his weird-tasting juice again?" Echizen guessed.

"I'm not sure," Kawamura admitted. "But it sure sounded important when I spoke to Inui just now."

~ ~ ~

The rays of orange light reflected from the sun in the darkened evening sky above illuminated the slightly-tanned skin of Kaidou's visage as he practised his "boomerang snake move" near the bridge. After a while, he stopped, his chest heaving, and settled down beside the river. His sharp ears caught the sound of footfalls approaching him, and involuntarily whirled his head around to see who it was.

There, standing less than a mile away, was Inui. "Hey," he greeted Kaidou with a casual wave of his hand. Kaidou stared evenly at him without a word for a brief moment. Then he got to his feet and faced the other man, muttering, "What do you want?" It was the second time Inui had met him near the bridge - and that fact disturbed him for a strange reason.

Inui stepped forward. "I came to tell ya somethin'." He thought he saw Kaidou's expression soften ever so slightly at that, but he could be wrong. 

"What is it?"

"I know you'd be furious at me after I tell you what I'm goin' to now..." Inui began, slowly closing the distance between them. 

"Why is that so?" Kaidou stood his ground, unflinching, as Inui came to a painfully close stop in front of him.

"Because... Because all this while, I'd been keeping this to myself and not telling anyone about it. And I have to get it off my chest."

Kaidou's eyes met his, and Inui held the gaze. It was hard to tell what Inui was thinking, for he had the sunglasses on.

"That doesn't answer the question, Inui. What is it?" Kaidou repeated, a bit slower this time, his tone calm and measured.

" . . . I . . . have a thing . . . for you . . . Kaidou."

* * *

Notes: Arrgh. I've made Inui-senpai OOC. Feedbacks are highly appreciated, despite that. *runs off to hide* 


	2. Act 2: Flame In The Dark

**Act 2:  Flame In The Dark (Kaidou's crisis) **

There was a momentary silence as Kaidou stared up with a look of utter discrepancy at the other man, apparently not too pleased with what he'd just heard. "...Damn..." He failed to stop the word from slipping between his lips, and Kaidou cursed himself for it. "What... Just *what* are you goddamn trying to-"

"What I'm tryin' to say is that _I_ love _you_." Inui couldn't keep his voice from trembling a bit. "That is all."

Now, evidently, Kaidou took a step backwards into the water, but his facial expression still bore one of disbelief. "Don't play around with me, Inui." His tone was as hard as steel, his eyes narrowed dangerously into slits. He looked somewhat like a fierce wild cat hissing at its enemy. "You might not like what you're gonna get in return..."

"If I were, I would already be laughing aloud by now, wouldn't I...?" Inui took a step forward to close the distance between them again. 

Kaidou seemed to notice this, for he growled out, "Damn you... Goddammit, Inui! Why the hell are you doing this to me?!" 

"If you could just...give me a chance..." Inui's hand reached up as if to touch him, but Kaidou angrily slapped his hand away before curling his own into a fist. 

"Get your filthy hands off me! I don't like it! I don't like *this*!" Kaidou said, referring to the situation he was in at the moment. For a minute, Inui felt like a complete stranger to him, despite the fact that they were in the same tennis team.  

Something burned within Inui; the overwhelming desire to hold this man, kiss this man. He still had no idea why he fell for a particular male - a person of the same gender doesn't appeal to him before. Not until he met Kaoru Kaidou. Before he could restrain the urges, he flung himself upon the other man, sealing their mouths together. Kaidou gave a surprised yelp before falling backwards into the shallow water with Inui above him.

~ ~ ~

"Darn, it's cold!" Kikumaru complained, slipping a jacket over his own body and zipping it up.

"It has been colder before," Oishi told him, dryly. "Have you got your tennis racket ready?"

"Yeah." Kikumaru's voice sounded muffled, for he had tucked his face against his jacket.

"I say..." Oishi glanced up, suddenly. "Do you wanna come with me to the mini-market this evening? I need to get something to eat later." 

"Sure. If you're willing to spare me some." Kikumaru grinned widely at his friend. 

Oishi shot him a sidelong glance. "Fine."

"Yatta!" 

Shaking his head, Oishi unlocked his locker and fumbled inside for an extra shirt.

~ ~ ~

"Haven't they returned *yet*?" Tezuka asked Kawamura in his usual low monotone as they walked out of the cafeteria.

Kawamura shrugged. "I thought they have." 

Tezuka let out an irritated sigh and lifted a hand to his temples. 

"Why don't we go and find them, Tezuka?" Momoshiro suggested. "They might still be near the bridge."

Echizen nodded in agreement. "Yeah. It's nearly the end of break-time. If we find them, we may have time for the next practice session."

Tezuka considered silently for a second, then said, "Momoshiro and Kawamura, you two go and search for them. They shouldn't be that far. Echizen and I will wait at the court."

"Got it." Momoshiro and Kawamura headed toward the bridge.

"...They'd be okay?" Echizen muttered quietly to Tezuka without facing him.

The captain merely watched the two go. ::They'd better be.::

~ ~ ~

"Tiring day, huh, Fuji-kun?" Satoru Abe, the cafeteria owner piped up when Fuji came to return his working outfit.

"Not too bad," Fuji smiled. 

"That's good to hear. Good day!" Satoru waved to him after receiving the outfit.

"You too." Fuji nodded politely at him and strode off to find his friends.

~ ~ ~  

Kaidou struggled to think coherently as his mind raced in a mass of tangled thoughts. The river water was undisputedly cold, and he could feel them seeping through the fabric of his tennis shirt, making his skin tighten instinctively. It was an undignified position they were in, no less. Kaidou knew he should shove Inui violently away but his whole body was unable to move freely in the freezing water. 

The plain fact that Inui was kissing him with fevered passion was enough to drive Kaidou to the heights of repulsion. With all of his energy, he pushed Inui off him, breaking their lip contact as he did so. To Kaidou's greatest relief, Inui did not protest but just sat in the water without uttering a single word or looking up. Kaidou staggered to his feet, panting breathlessly - all the while clearly avoiding looking at the other man's direction. 

Beads of crystal clear water dripped from his hair and soaked shirt into the river. " . . . Useless piece of crap . . . " he gritted out, unsure if he was talking to himself or Inui. At that very moment, he heard voices calling his and Inui's name, just before Momoshiro and Kawamura appeared in sight. 

"K-Kaidou...!" came Momoshiro's startled voice as he approached them, noticing the status they were in. 

"W-What happened?" Kawamura added, blinking at Kaidou and Inui. "Did you two get into a fight or somethin'?"

Kaidou really wanted to scream out then, telling all of them to leave him the hell alone. Especially Inui. Instead, he just pursed his lips and did not say a word as he climbed out of the water and to the river bank, ignoring the confused expressions Momoshiro and Kawamura flung at him. "Is Tezuka looking for me?" he spoke in an undertone without glancing at them. 

"Oh...yeah, he was. ...But wait, Kaidou, tell us if anything's wrong?" Momoshiro put in, concerned.

Kaidou felt his eyes burn hotly and closed them for a fleeting moment. "...Nothing...happened..." he muttered, and made his way towards the training center. 

"O-Oi...! Kaidou!" Kawamura called, helplessly. 

Inui, who was already up and walking over to them, said, "Nothing's the matter. Don't worry." 

"You sure?" Momoshiro replied, hesitantly. "Kaidou looked upset."

But the only answer Inui gave was a shake of his head.

* * *

Notes: Uh oh... Kaidou has a big problem... Hey, dun look at me. ^^; I never thought it'll turn out this way... Okay, okay, so it was my fault. Blame me. -__-;;


	3. Act 3: Weakness And Endurance

**Act 3:  Weakness And Endurance (Steps to reality)**

Kaidou was all huffy and heavily scowling when Tezuka and Echizen saw him entering the gates to the training center. 

Echizen, who had been poising his racket, ready to give his shot at the tennis ball in his hand, stopped convulsively when his eyes fell upon the disgruntled man with a nonplussed expression, which made Tezuka turn to look as well. 

"…What's up with Kaidou-senpai? He looks as if he wouldn't hesitate to rip the head of the first person he sees. His face's as red as a volcano ready to erupt its lava."

"Maybe he's in one of his usual moods again." Tezuka replied with a massive hint of nonchalance in his tone.

"Could be." Echizen whirled back to face Tezuka and aimed the tennis ball he was holding with his racket again. "Sorry 'bout that. Got distracted by Mr. Bad-Tempered-You-Know-Who."

"S'okay." 

~ ~ ~

Brilliant… Fucking brilliant…, Kaidou thought hatefully, raking a cold trembling hand through his wet dark hair and pulling the ragged-looking scarf tied around his head free as he did so, twisting the water free of it. 

So much for trying to be single. 

Damn that Inui. It was all *his* bloody fault, wasn't it? If he didn't confess his stupid love for him, this kind of awkward situation wouldn't have existed. 

Not in this world, at least. 

And Kaidou would have been off a happier man. He had to admit - he loathed situations like this; they made him weak and fragile inside, like a thin piece of glass easily disintegrated with a flick of a finger. 

As far as he is concerned, he would not, in his entire sane life, show that *he* is *weak*. 

He mustn't. 

He shouldn't. 

Kaidou sighed aloud as he hung the now-slightly-dry scarf loosely around his neck. 

So Inui-senpai, the straightforward prick, confessed his feelings to him. What next? Flowers and a friggin' sickly-sweet romantic serenade outside the balcony of his house every damned night? Kaidou repressed the sudden urge to retch in disgust. He was fairly sure he would never succeed in trying to overcome his repugnance for Inui's indelicate personality...nor would he be able to sleep well from that night onwards.  

He used to be indifferent towards Inui when it came to sexual matters; he had clearly thought of that guy as a teammate, and perhaps a friend. 

Nothing more, nothing less. 

Now it seemed that Inui had gone and wrecked their friendship bond - the only bond that was strong between the two of them. 

Good riddance. 

It shamed him enough about the thought of two guys - involving him, Kaidou for this matter - having an intimate relationship, moreover, a _homosexual _one. That stray thought shaken him immensely. What if he couldn't find a way to escape from the situation he was in? What if he failed to make Inui stop having puppy love and crushes on him? What if…

"Ah, hell…" Kaidou muttered, forcing his mind to think straight as he sauntered over to the locker room to change his wet clothes. "I'm not an open-minded person, so fucking what?" But for an unfathomable reason, he didn't really like the thought of Inui with a girl...or another guy. "Damn…must've drunk the wine a glass too many last night…"  

And . . . the resonant voice of Inui . . . kept echoing endlessly in his ears, much to his disapprobation. 

_I love you . . . Kaidou . . ._            

~ ~ ~

Throughout the whole practice session, from the very beginning to the end, Kaidou had carefully avoided glancing at Inui's direction, which made the other man wonder vaguely if what he'd just did was right. But Inui wasn't one to be ashamed of his actions. He had his pride, and he believed in the saying of 'What's done is done.' He had been honest to Kaidou. Nothing else mattered besides that. 

Maybe Kaidou won't accept him. 

Maybe he never will.

Still, Inui would take the risk of losing a friend just to get a possible chance for his loved one to return his feelings. Better something than nothing at all. If Kaidou rejected him, and it seemed like that so far, there was nothing Inui could do then. 

But one thing is for sure . . .

He would never let go of the one he loves that easily.

Not even if it hurts or dangers him.

That, he can promise.

~ ~ ~     

"That was a great shot you made, Oishi-senpai," Momoshiro commented as he walked over to him after the practice.

Oishi, who was wiping the perspiration off the sides of his face with a towel, replied with a sidelong smile, "You did pretty good yourself."

Momoshiro blushed slightly and let his gaze fall to the ground. "Naw, it was nothing…"

"That reminds me… I was planning to go to a mini-market with Eiji. You wanna come along?"

"Oh?" Momoshiro blinked. "With Kikumaru-senpai?"

"Well, yeah. I'm sure he won't mind in the least if you come."

Momoshiro felt his heart sink a little. "I guess it's okay. I have things…to do at home."

"I see. Perhaps some other time then." Oishi, evidently, was oblivious to the other young man's disappointment.

"I suppose. Enjoy yourself, Oishi-senpai." Momoshiro gave him a small smile.

"Thanks." Oishi patted him once on the shoulder.

~ ~ ~

"A date?" Echizen repeated, not bothering to conceal his surprise.

"Um…yes." Sakuno Ryuzaki, the girl who had a crush on Ryoma for quite a long time, answered, fidgeting nervously with the hem of her skirt. "A-Are you free tomorrow? Since it's a Saturday and all…"

"I may be busy tomorrow…" Echizen shot her an apologetic smile. "But I'm free on Sunday."

"Really?" Ryuzaki's heart leaped with joy. 

Echizen nodded. "How about I meet you at the Kiza Cinema at five?"  

"Oh, sure! I'll be there. Ja ne, Ryoma-kun~" With that, she waved goodbye and ran off happily.

Echizen merely watched as the girl took off, just before he caught sight of Momoshiro walking a few distances away, a glum expression overtaking his features.

"Momo-senpai…?" Echizen murmured, as he blinked at the depressed-looking man.

~ ~ ~ 

Notes: . . . Um, indifference is one thing, but it seems most of the characters just won't cooperate with me! 


	4. Act 4: An Invitation

**Act 4:  An Invitation (Distant bond) **

"I heard that Atobe-san and his gang are going to the campus tomorrow to practice tennis at the court. They're expecting us to join them," Fuji informed Tezuka as they walked towards the direction of their houses. 

"...How did you know about this?" Tezuka's slanted eyes flickered over to the shorter man swiftly before resting on a cherry blossom tree a few distances ahead of them. 

"Atobe-san gave me a call this morning."

"He called you? He has your phone number?"

Fuji nodded in reply. "Probably from his friends."

Tezuka turned his attention to the ground and was silent for a fleeting moment. "You're going?"

Fuji blessed the captain of their team with a sunny grin. "Of course. I wouldn't want to miss a chance of having a tennis match with them."

"Yeah. But still, you should at least take a day off. It'll be exhausting."

"That's a bit unusual for a person like you to say."

"Why is that so?" Tezuka tried to keep the tone of his voice from hardening at the boy's comment. 

"Well…because I figured you're the always-on-the-go type of person." Another warm smile. It was almost as sweet as sex, but Tezuka refused to acknowledge the fact further. 

"I'm not the type of person you think I am," Tezuka answered coldly. "A tennis player needs his rest too."

"Yeah…Tezuka really is an understanding person."

_Understanding?_ Tezuka thought inwardly to himself. _This guy says the weirdest things…_

"My house's just around the block. I'll see you then."

"Aa." 

"Wait."

"What?"

"Will you be going to the campus tomorrow? We could have a double match with them…" Fuji suggested.

Tezuka closed his eyes with unrelenting aloofness, and shrugged disinterestedly. "Most possibly not."

"Oh…" Fuji seemed crestfallen for a brief second, but quickly recovered. "Never mind. Hope you have a nice day, Tezuka."

"Mn. Same to you." Tezuka waited and watched as Fuji nodded politely to him before disappearing at a corner of the road. The captain continued to regard the path the other man took for a while, shaking his head slightly. _That Fuji is too outgoing for words_, he thought, and resumed his walk towards his own house. _Definitely a little _too_ outgoing…But that doesn't concern me at all._

~ ~ ~

"You don't look too good, Momo-senpai. Anything wrong?" Echizen inquired, unable to repress his curiosity any longer.  

That jerked Momoshiro out of his personal thoughts. "Huh? No, I'm fine, Echizen." He increased the pace of his cycling, and Echizen shrugged after a while, when he was positive Momoshiro wasn't going to say anything else.  

A long uncomfortable silence hung in the air between them for a few minutes. At last, Momoshiro broke it. 

"You having some plans for this weekend?"

"Well… Ryuzaki asked me out just now. We're supposed to meet at the cinema this Sunday for a movie or something, if I'm not mistaken."

Momoshiro smiled to himself, although oblivious to Echizen, for he was behind him, and said, "*She* asked *you* out? Not the other way round?"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Forget it."

"Okay. …Momo-senpai?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm having a little trouble with algebra- I mean, school work, and…I was wondering if you could teach me…"

"Sure. When do you want me to tutor you?"

"Monday's a public holiday. I'm free on that day."

"No problem. I'll be over at six."

"Thanks, Momo-san."

"What was that?!"

"Nothing."

"…You know I hate being called that, Echizen."

"I know."

~ ~ ~

The convenient store was mildly packed with people when Oishi and Kikumaru arrived. 

"Aww, man! And it's still five forty in the evening!" Kikumaru wailed as they entered the shop.

"Eiji, quit bickering and just take whatever tidbits you want quickly. The queue line's getting longer."

"Right, give me a minute, Oishi." 

With that, he squeezed through the crowd of people, tripped over someone's shoe, and nearly fell flat on his face if it weren't for Oishi, who grabbed him just in time from behind. 

"That was scary. Thanks, Oishi." Kikumaru balanced himself once more.

"Be careful, will you?" 

"Mmm hmm…oh, look! My favorite custard pies!" Kikumaru reached over and took three of them. At that moment, he felt a fat lady hit his body lightly.

"Sorry, young man. I lost my balance." Saying that, she steadied herself with a hand on his chest.

"It's alright, ma'am." Kikumaru grinned at her before concentrating on the food on the racks again.

After buying, Oishi and Kikumaru exited the shop, and the latter chattered excitedly about the things he'd bought, when Oishi cut in all of a sudden.

"Eiji, that fat woman molested you."

"And you know, I found the chocola- what?!" Kikumaru's head snapped to look at his friend.

"She did."

"Wha- No, she just lost her balance and happened to hit me, that's all."

"You sure?" 

"Positive. …Um…well, at least, I think so."

Oishi smacked his own forehead and sighed. "Never mind."

~ ~ ~

"Kaoru, your bath's ready!" Kaidou's mother called out to him from downstairs.

"Just a minute," he replied, and descended down the stairs to the shower.

As he was undressing, the phone rang, and he heard his mother cry out, "Your phone, Kaoru."

"Who the heck is it?"

"He claims to be Sadaharu Inui."

"WHAT?!" Kaidou accidentally dropped the towel he was holding around his naked form from his shock, hastily picked it up, and wrapped it around his waist again. Irritation began to burn in his loins as he answered the call. 

"What the hell do you want?!"

"Kaidou, am I disturbing you at the moment?"

"You goddamn well are!"

"Listen, I know you hate me right now, but Tezuka asked me to inform you that tomorrow, Atobe and his friends are going to the campus for a match. Fuji's gonna be there as well."

"What's that got to do with me?"

"They're invitin' us to play tennis with 'em."

"…Fine. Thanks for telling me. Is that all?"

"I love you."

  .  .  .  .

Slamming the phone down, Kaidou said angrily, "Mother, would you do me a favor and disconnect our phone line just for the night? I think I'll feel better tomorrow."

* * *


	5. Act 5: An Obscene Approach

Notes: My biggest thanks to all who kindly read & reviewed this fic. ^_^ I'm really grateful. In return, I made this chapter extra long and 'interesting'. XD Nyahahahahahaha~ *getz dragged away by the others*

P.S. Be notified that the relationships between characters may not happen in the actual manga/anime. It's all purely fictitious and created in my mind. 

**Act 5:  An Obscene Approach (Tezuka's unexpected resentment)**

The next morning was greeted with a subtle amount of clouds and a warm glowing sun above the bright azure sky. Birds, namely sparrows and such, flew high across it, chirping soundly, in search for the morning's meal. 

Fuji sat at the doorstep and unhurriedly tied his shoelaces, thinking of the match he was going to have with the rival's team. _I'll try my best to win today_, he thought with a smile. _Losing is a different story._

"Syusuke-kun, take care of yourself at the campus, hon," his mother reminded as she walked up behind him, brushing back a loose strand of brown hair out of her eyes. 

"I will, Mother. Keep an eye on little brother while I'm away. Make sure he doesn't get nosey. He often tends to do that." 

Mrs. Fuji nodded. "Of course."

After tying the last shoestring, the young man stood up and waved goodbye to his mother. "Ja ne, kaa-san."

His mother merely gave him a small affectionate smile, although her visage looked vaguely troubled. "Don't be too long."

"Don't worry about it. I'll be back soon after the match is finished." 

"I sincerely hope so."

Fuji let out a light laugh and said, "I'll be going now."

"Un. Good luck with the tennis match, hon."

"Thanks." That said, he ran off with his racket, leaving his mother to watch him go.

~ ~ ~

"Campus, campus." Tezuka muttered under his breath as he took his time walking towards it. "This is all Fuji's fault. Making me get up in the early hours of the morning and preparing myself for this damned thing." He shoved the thought away and silently made his way to his destination.

~ ~ ~

The Hyotei team was standing near the tennis court in the campus when something caught Munehiro Kabaji's attention.

"Yo, there he is," With a remote expression, Kabaji jerked his thumb warily towards a certain charming young male with chestnut brown hair walking up to the group of guys. 

"That's the Fuji guy, isn't it?" Keigo Atobe regarded him sideways with rapt interest as the Seigaku member approached them with an engaging smile.

"Hi. I'm Syusuke Fuji."

"We know," a blazing red-haired guy, whom Fuji recognized as Gakuto Muhaki, replied icily. But the blatant coldness in Mukahi's tone didn't seem to offend Fuji in the least. "So, er, where are your so-called friends?" 

"Tezuka's not coming. I don't know about the rest." 

Atobe raised a perfect brow at that. "You came alone?"

"From what I recall. We can still begin the match, can't we?" 

"Yeah. Suppose so." Oshitari shrugged. "We are sooo gonna beat your ass out of the tennis court this time, Fu-ji."

Fuji simply smiled and instinctively tightened his grip around his racket. "We'll see about that, Oshitari-san."    

"Personally, I don't think that'll happen too soon," came a low voice from a distance. All of them abruptly turned to see who it was.

Kaidou was walking silently towards them from the direction of the campus' entrance gates, a measured expression downing his features.

"Well, well, isn't it Mr. Kaoru Kaidou. Also known as the 'Viper' or The Bad-Tempered-Guy." Atobe said aloud, his voice dripping with heavy sarcasm. 

Kaidou seethed at the other man's remark. "You watch that mouth of yours, Atobe, or I'll-" 

"What'cha gonna do, Kaidou baby? Whip my ass with that racket of yours? Go ahead and see if you can aim at it properly."

Kaidou glared at him and was about to give the captain of the Hyotei team a piece of his mind when Fuji held him back. 

"Back off, Fuji. Let me pulverize this little hell of a-"

"Kaidou-san, get a grip on yourself. Let's not start a fight here," Fuji advised him.

"Yeah, Kaidou. Go train yourself until you're more worthy of being my enemy." Atobe laughed mockingly. "That'll be the day."

"Why you-!"

"Kaidou-san!" 

Kaidou bit back the curse that threatened to come out at Fuji's warning tone, and tried to control his temper. "…Fine. I'll let this jerk go this once. But if he pisses me off again, I swear I'll kick his ass back to his hometown."

Atobe struggled to suppress the peals of laughter, which had rose to his throat and nearly choked him, but he managed to refrain from doing so. _Amusing guy, I must say_, thought Atobe with a secret smile.

~ ~ ~

Fuji had offered to watch Atobe play tennis with Kabaji for the first few hours or so, and unexpectedly inquired to Kaidou as they stood outside the court, "So, how are things with Inui?"

In an instant, the very core of Kaidou's heart went cold with fear. _Fuji knows!? …No way… There's no fucking way Inui could've told him…or is there? Don't stammer, Kaidou. Do anything_ but_ stammer… _"I…uh…okay, I guess." _What the hell do you mean by 'okay', you dumb idiot!? _a tiny voice at the back of his mind yelled. _Will you speak something coherent for once!? _"Shut up," he muttered in reply, annoyed. 

"Hm…" Fuji nodded understandingly. "I see. I just wondered…you know, how things are going since he's been helping you in improving your skills in tennis and all…" Fuji flashed him a smile, obviously unaware of Kaidou's discomfort. "Besides, you two are the second doubles pair we have."

Kaidou managed out a weak laugh. Inwardly, he sighed in massive relief. _He doesn't know… Thank heavens. I thought I was gonna die right there if he ever knew about…_Kaidou stopped himself from thinking any more and concentrated on the game between Atobe and Kabaji presented before him. _Just how long am I supposed to take all this!?_ he thought desperately.

~ ~ ~

"Four and four!" Ryo Shishido announced, after the first round of the match between Fuji and Atobe. 

"You're pretty tough…Fuji. That's your name, right?" Atobe shot him an amused glance.

"Aa." Fuji answered, heaving slightly. "You're surprisingly good yourself, Atobe-san."

"It's your turn."

Fuji flung the tennis ball up into the air and hit at it as soon as it came down. It flew towards Atobe at an alarming rate but before the ball had a chance to land onto the ground, he thrust out his hand and caught it. 

_What??_ Fuji blinked at the other man in bewilderment. _Why is he…_

Atobe gave him a sidelong smile. "…I lost." And he released his grip on the ball, letting it fall with a soundless thud on the ground.

"Second round! Fuji!" Shishido exclaimed, indicating that Fuji had won. 

"What the hell does Keigo think he's doing!?!?" Mukahi cried out, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"I dunno. Ask him." Kabaji replied nonchalantly. That game was boring to him anyway. He only disliked Fuji. 

"I… What happened?" Fuji asked, when he had his voice chords working again. 

"You won. I lost. End of the game." Atobe rested his tennis racket over his shoulder and Fuji could only watch as he sauntered out of the court as if nothing happened.

"Atobe-san! Wait!" Fuji called, running over to him. "You can't just end the game like that! It'll be unfair-"

"You're too good for me, Fuji." Atobe whipped his head around to face him and their gazes locked fleetingly. For a brief moment Atobe felt as if he was spellbound, drowning in the pools of the orbs of Fuji's eyes.  

"Aw, man~ **Now** what're they doing!?" moaned Mukahi, as he watched the pair from a distance, still depressed with Atobe's action in the previous match. 

Kabaji shrugged. "Like **I** know. Ask them."

"Will ya quit saying that!?" Mukahi snapped irritably. "It's startin' to get on my nerves!"

Kabaji merely rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"…Atobe-san?" 

Atobe seemed to snap out of it at the sound of Fuji's puzzled voice and quickly turned away from him, walking off without another word. 

_What was that all about?_ Fuji wondered, confused at the other man's act.

~ ~ ~ 

Kaidou, who was soaking a towel at the tap to wipe himself, promptly turned when he heard footsteps behind him and was utterly dumbstruck when he saw Inui standing there. "I-INUI!?"

"Hush." Inui covered his mouth with his hand to muffle Kaidou's words. "You don't have to tell the whole world I'm here."

"Mmph!" Kaidou unattached the spectacled man's hand from his mouth and blurted out, "Just what the HELL are YOU doing-"  

"I thought I might have a game with one of the Hyotei members, but it seems Atobe is out of it." Inui told him.

"Out of what?" Kaidou inquired, mainly out of curiosity.

Inui shrugged. "Out of something. Anyway, good thing I found you here. I knew you always liked water."

Kaidou went red. "T-That doesn't mean anything!"

"Of course it doesn't. Shall we go to the cafeteria for some drinks, hm?" 

Before Kaidou could even voice out a response, Inui had dragged him into the cafeteria.

~ ~ ~

After taking a shower in the shower room, Fuji dressed in the clothes he had brought from home. 

"Going home so soon?" 

Startled a bit, Fuji whirled around, and his eyes settled upon Keigo Atobe, who was leaning against the wall with a slight smirk.  Evidently, he had been waiting outside as Fuji had his shower.

"Oh, Atobe-san. It's you." Fuji exhaled audibly. "You surprised me for a second there."

"Is that so?" Atobe advanced towards him, backing him against a wall without further warnings. 

"Atobe-san…? What-"

"Fuji…" The single word slipped from Atobe like melted sugar as he breathed against the smaller man's neck, bringing his lips closer to the smooth skin there.

"A-Atobe…san… Th-This is inappropriate…" Fuji lifted his hands to push the other man away, but Atobe's quick moves won over. He caught them and held them back to the wall. 

"Fuji… From the first moment I set my eyes on you, I'd fallen for you… I've never met anyone as beautiful as you." Atobe raised his head to gaze at him. "I'm in hell of a desire for you, Fuji."

Fuji couldn't believe what he was hearing. _No… No no no no!_ he thought in alarm, his throat going dry. _This isn't happening… This should_ not _be happening…_Shutting his eyes tightly, he willed for Atobe to stop. To stop doing this to him. 

It was when he felt the man unzip his pants did Fuji react. He began to thrash against Atobe. "Please stop this, Atobe-san! This is immoral!"

"Get your hands off of him!" A new voice was heard, deep and threatening, from the door of the shower room. 

Atobe stopped in an instant and turned to see the intruder. He felt as if the whole earth was falling on top of him as his eyes widened implausibly. "T-Tezuka..!"

* * * 


	6. Act 6: Consolation

Act 6:  Consolation (Beginnings of another problem) 

"Don't you understand simple language, Atobe?" Tezuka repeated, enraged. I said, _Get your damned hands off him_!"

This time, his words jerked Atobe into action, and the latter immediately released his hold on Fuji, who looked genuinely relieved, albeit a little puzzled at Tezuka's materialization. Nevertheless, Atobe seemed outrageously infuriated at the Seigaku captain, whom he loathed to a great extent. There was a shadow of fury on his face, his lips twisted in a sneer of contempt. 

"Fine." Atobe had his hands up in reluctant surrender, backing away. "Fine, Tezuka. He's all yours."

Tezuka's glare never left him until the other man strode with mild grace toward him, stopped momentarily in front of Tezuka, before sidestepping him and leaving through the door. After he had left, Tezuka's anger subsided, and the violence, which had flared in his eyes, dissolved like smoke as he finally turned his eyes to Fuji. 

"…Thanks…" Fuji spoke up without looking at him, his voice barely a whisper. He felt fairly ashamed of himself for letting Tezuka witness him in such an embarrassing situation. "I'm…sorry you have to see all that."

Tezuka remained silent for a few seconds. "It's nothing." He couldn't bring himself to say, _"I'm just glad you're all right." _He allowed that sentence to go through his mind instead.  

Awkwardly, Fuji walked up to him and smiled as he often did.

_I can't believe him, _Tezuka thought, incredulously. _He still can smile after what just happened. _

"I'm okay now." Fuji tried to sound convincing.

Tezuka was no fool. But he only said, "I'll accompany you home…for today." 

~ ~ ~

Stirring his glass of fresh pineapple juice, Kaidou muttered something unintelligible under his breath. 

"What was that?" Inui glanced up at him from the data book he was writing in. 

"I said, I can't _believe_ you're here." 

"You've been saying that for the past seven minutes." 

"That's pretty alert of you to notice it," Kaidou answered dryly.

Inui stopped writing. "I say, Kaidou, would you like to go to the library with m-"

"No," Kaidou replied curtly, lifting the straw from his glass. "I'm not going anywhere with you. The day I go outing with you is the day I join the circus as a dumb clown." 

Contemplating the words the other man had just said, Inui solemnly nodded once. "Okay. I understand."

"Good thing you do," said Kaidou, heartlessly. 

"Hmm…" Inui tapped his pen against the now-closed data book, thoughtfully. "Surely it can't hurt to do one tiny little favor for me?"

"…What's that?" 

"C'mere." 

"What?" 

"I wanna tell ya somethin'."

Perplexed, Kaidou leaned slightly over the table between them. Rather satisfied with himself, Inui bent over and firmly pressed his lips to Kaidou's, whose eyes went large as dinner plates. 

~ ~ ~

Mukahi entered the cafeteria, still crestfallen at how the last tennis match went. _Keigo nearly _won_, and what did that idiot do? He did the stupidest thing anyone could think of: blew his goddamn chance of winning_, he thought to himself bitterly. _And purposely so at that_.Sighing, he ran a hand through his red hair, and looked up just in time to see a particular pair at a table, a few distances away. 

He froze convulsively. _Wait a minute… Those two guys are from the stupid Seigaku team, aren't they?_ He squinted to see better, and nearly got a heart-attack. _Inui and the Viper _kissing?!?! _Moreover, in _public_?!?! _His hand came up to cover his mouth, and he gagged. Retracing his steps back toward the door with a feeling of disgust, Mukahi exited the cafeteria, no longer wanting to have a drink or anything at all. Not after what he saw. _Wait till the guys hear 'bout this…_

~ ~ ~        

His body became rigid for a second, his mind numb with shock. _What the fuck?!_ Repelled, the smaller man broke away, coughing. However, Inui had stood up with a slight smile on his visage as he placed a few coins and an extra tip for the drinks onto the table before saying, "I really want to stay n chit chat, but I've promised to help my parents with something. Later." 

Kaidou was left to gawk wordlessly in disbelief at Inui as the data man sauntered his way to the door. 

~ ~ ~

The phone at the Oishi residence rang relentlessly until Oishi emerged from the kitchen and picked it up. 

"H'llo," he answered, clearing his throat.

"Oiccchi~! It's meeee."

"Hey. Wassup, Eiji? …What's with that voice?" Oishi heard a loud sneeze at the end of the line, and jumped at the intensity of it.

"I've got a ccccccold." 

"A cold? Don't tell me you went to bed with the air-condition on full-blast last night, again?" 

"Mmhm. Could ya c'me over an help meh with s'mthin?"

Shaking his head, Oishi smiled over the phone. "Okay, Eiji. Doctor Oishi will be right over."

Kikumaru sniffed. "Thanks, Oicchiii."

Oishi winced. "Man, I hate it when you have a cold."

"Why ish that?"

"Because the way you pronounce my name sound like I'm some freakish high school girl."

~ ~ ~

The door opened on the third ring of the doorbell, and Kikumaru appeared, looking all puffy and…well, sick. 

"Hi. Came as fast as I could." Oishi regarded him, concernedly. "God, Eiji… You look so…" He failed to come up with a suitable word, and finally said, "…unwell."

Eiji nodded relentlessly. "I know, Oicchii. I know. C'm in."

Oishi did so, and at that time, Kikumaru sneezed loudly, nearly blowing off his friend's feet off the ground.

"Good Lord, Eiji, you'd better get back to your bed and lie still or it'll get worse," Oishi told him. 

Kikumaru staggered toward his bed and collapsed onto it. 

"Here." Oishi held out two blue tablets to him. 

"Nnagh? What's that?" Kikumaru looked pointedly, although a little blurrily, at them.

"Your medicine, Hotshot. _That's _what it is," answered Oishi, dryly.

"Oh…"

"…Your parents aren't home?" 

"They're out."

"I see. I'll be here till you fall asleep then, okay?" Oishi told him after he had taken the tablets. "And if the generous mood strikes me, I might fix you dinner or something."      

"Really?!" Kikumaru's eyes sparkled with delight. "I want an omelette for dinner! Oh, wait- make that _two_!"

Oishi eyed him bleakly. "Er…I haven't said I wou-"

"God, you're so nice, Oishi!" Kikumaru continued, not hearing his words. "I don't think I deserve it though. But that would really lift a heavy weight off my shoulders."

Oishi watched him mutely as he babbled on, persistently.

"…You're always so caring to me…too caring, I'd say…"

Oishi knew it was the medicine, _had_ to be the medicine.

"…and kind. Why else would you be here in the first place?"

He wanted this to stop. It was making him uncomfortable. 

"Sometimes, it makes me think…"

"Uh…Eiji?"

"I know very well that I wouldn't be able to repay every single one of your never-ending kindness to me, but…"

Oishi tried, yet again. "Eiji."

"But I know I'd do _anything _for you, even to the heights where it endangers my life, if it saves you." Kikumaru's eyelids were now fluttering; closing. "I promise…"

Helpless, Oishi let himself gaze at his friend, who had fallen asleep in the verge of exhaustion. _Did Eiji really mean what he'd just said?_, he wondered to himself. _It could be the drug talking. Or that cold of his. _

Sighing, he decided that he _would_ prepare the omelette Eiji so loved, after all. Oishi turned to look at the sleeping form of the redhead one last time, before going off. Besides, he knew fairly well if there were any second thoughts, he certainly isn't one to contemplate.   

* * *

Notes: The usual laziness kicked in again. But no worries. I'll complete this story some way or other. For the time being, give me lots of feedback, pleeeze? I'll love you to bits.


	7. Act 7: A Moment With You

Notes: Dear reviewers, thank you so very much for all your support/feedback. You've helped me a lot, and I never forget to take note of your thoughts. Like for those who want to see more of their favorite pairing, I'll gladly oblige. A little patience is all I ask for. Otherwise, I'd like to express my thanks again to all who have been with me all this while. Thank u. 

**Act 7:  A Moment With You (The dark side of light) **

"Thanks for accompanying me home," said Fuji to Tezuka, when they had reached his house.

"Aa. Take care."

"Are you sure you don't want to come in even for a while?"

"I've things to do."

"Oh . . . I'm sorry I-." 

"Fuji."

"Yeah?" 

Tezuka slipped a hand into his own pocket and produced a tiny white card. "Here."

Fuji accepted it with confusion written all over his visage. "What's this?" he asked, inquiringly.

Tezuka simply gave him an impassive look. "My calling card. Just in case there's anything you need or want to tell me."

"Thanks."

"Uh . . . yeah, and this." Tezuka thrust a curved yellow blossom into his hand. "It's something I picked on the way to the campus just now." 

Warmth enveloped Fuji's heart when he saw the flower, and his eyes softened. "Tezuka . . ."

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Tezuka put in, "I'll be on my way then. Ja na."  

"Okay. See you." Fuji watched Tezuka's back as the other man walked away, and then rested his gaze on the little flower in his hand again. 

He smiled. 

Yellow, huh? If I'm not generally mistaken, it's the color that says 'I care for you' . . .

**~ ~ ~**

"How was your date with Sakuno?" Momoshiro enquired while he sifted through Echizen's question papers regarding Math. 

Echizen, who was twirling his pen in one hand and resting his chin atop the other, answered monotonously, "It was fine. Surprisingly, the movie didn't disturb me or obliterate my good mood on that day one bit." 

"You watched the entire movie?" Momoshiro gave the younger boy a sidelong smile. 

Echizen shook his head. "No. I fell asleep halfway through, and woke up just in time before the movie ended. Thankfully, Sakuno didn't seem to notice. She looked remarkably joyful after watching the movie; I just didn't want to spoil her enthusiasm by saying that I didn't have a clue of what we've just watched."

Momoshiro laughed lightly, and shook his head.

"What?" asked Echizen, innocently.

"You're terrible, Echizen."

Echizen simply shrugged, an expression of minor guilt coloring his features. "I'm not one for soap operas."

"What interests you then?"

Echizen thought for a moment. "Action movies, tennis, horror, tennis, anything non-romance or comedy, tennis . . ."

"That's _some_ interests."

"Nothing out of the ordinary." 

"You weren't much for romance either, huh? Do the sticky scenes bother you?"

"As much as being in a house full of women. But of course, I'll have to mask the discomfiture. I guess it's not _that _hard to play along and think it's one of the most intriguing things I've ever come across."

"You have one bizarre mind."

Echizen suppressed a grin. "You wouldn't say that if you were in my shoes, Momo-senpai."

"That, I might agree." 

~ ~ ~

_Okay, Kaidou . . . concentrate. You frigging _have_ to concentrate!!_, the Viper told himself strictly. 

A History exercise paper and an open textbook on the study table before him were laid untouched. Kaidou knew he hadn't been able to catch up with his schoolwork recently, and he knew exactly _what_ the cause was as well. 

_Concentrate, damnit! When did the British and Portuguese sign a contract? . . . How the hell would _I _know?! I didn't even know they signed a stupid bloody contract!!! _

"I can't put up with all this any longer!" With a violent swing of the hand, Kaidou tossed the unanswered History paper over his shoulder and buried his face in his hands in disgruntlement. The paper fell sinuously onto the floor and lay unharmed. __

_What the hell is wrong with me?! Why can't I even answer a simple question?! I never had trouble with History before. Why _now_?!_

Kaidou let out an aggrieved grunt and reached over for an English novel. His temper hit him when he realized that even reading a novel had become as intricate as trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle. A long trail of curses flowed from him, and he started to slam his head into the wall with brutal force.

It wasn't long before he got sick of all the self-torture. Only then he stopped, and let his weary body fall onto his cold, uninviting bed. 

_Going to the bar and getting drunk doesn't sound like a bad idea at all right now. But then, if I get drunk, hell knows _what _I'll do. What if I wake up the next morning and find myself in Inui's house? He'd tell me the truth, no doubt – that I'd suddenly appeared practically out of _nowhere_ at the front doorstep of his house the day before, and asked him to fuck my brains out. And so, Inui being Inui, did._

Shuddering, Kaidou shook his head indignantly. On second thought, I think I'll stick to the 'not going' idea . . . 

~ ~ ~

Tuesday morning arrived, and Kaidou found himself back to school again. He avoided walking nearby other people, and took the long way up to his class. As soon as he set his foot into the classroom, a few of his classmates perfunctorily started whispering to each other, casting odd glances at his direction. 

What the hell is going on now?, Kaidou thought, resignedly, as he settled himself down on his chair. Weirdos will always be weirdos. He shook his head disdainfully. 

It was only at that moment did Kaidou notice a folded piece of paper the length of a forefinger, lying visibly on his desk, almost appearing to be waiting for him. Unable to hold back his curiosity, he grasped the thin parchment and unfolded it. Immediately, his muscles seemed to tense in a momentary shock as he made out the word scribbled on it. The reproachful word of 'FAGGOT' was written in big block letters in an immensely contemptuous way, which could indisputably make any calm person detonate.    

With a resentful growl, Kaidou crumpled the paper with a single hand. Those fucking measly peasants... 

"Who the hell wrote this goddamn garbage?!?!" his voice thundered through the class. Everyone else fell silent at once. Kaidou sent a malevolent glare from one person to another, threatening to tear the culprit into shreds. 

All of a sudden, a boy broke the silence. "Hey, Kaidou, we know very well you have somethin' going on with that Inui guy. There's no point tryin' to hide it, dude."

Kaidou felt like a complete alien then. Questions swirled in his mind haphazardly. What . . . What in the name of-  

"Yeah." Another boy nodded in agreement. "I never would have thought it, man. The renowned Viper? Gay? Now **that's** some interestin' topic for the school newspaper!"  

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Kaidou yelled angrily. His knees were starting to feel weak.

"Don't pretend you don't know what we're talkin' about, Viper! We already know your little secret!"

Helpless, he turned to the girls. All eyes were on him, accusing and condemning. Some were eyeing him with disgust, some with mock pity.  

Words failed Kaidou, and he merely dropped his gaze as if in surrender. He knew there was no possible escape to this. 

But how did they know? There isn't any way they could've found out, unless . . .   

~ ~ ~

In a colossal bad mood, Kaidou inspected his locker during break, and frowned in disapproval at the things he found inside. Threats, tacky advertisements, love letters . . . He made a face. Do these people have nothing better to do than stuffing all the crap into a person's locker? As he shuffled inside, a bunch of papers fell onto the floor, and he picked them up, wondering what the hell they were for. 

FAG. FREAKIN' QUEER. FAGGOT WHORE. 

Kaidou slammed the door of his locker shut with such force that it quivered. That does it. Those bastards have gone too far.   

With angry determination, he stomped off towards Inui's class. 

Something needed to be done about this, and he's willing to make the first move.

* * *

Notes: I've seen a comment in a website that the way Inui asked Kaidou to team up with him in episode 54 sounded as if he's saying, "Would you like to marry me?" XD *coughchokesplutter* Looks like I'm not the only insane one out there… 


	8. Act 8: You Drive Me Crazy

Note: First off… *bows down* _So_ sorry for the _very_ late update!!! *strangles self* School's been taking up most of my time. I seriously need a break. ^^;; *sharpens a blade* Interesting piece of metal, isn't it? . . .

**Act 8:  You Drive Me Crazy (The shadows of desire)**

Terms could not efficiently describe how furious Kaidou was. He had been storming past the classes, the school hall, the library, and the cafeteria (practically everywhere), yelling Inui's name until his voice had gone virtually raucous like grated sandpaper. By any means, he needed to find Inui. To get things straight. To end all this hell he was going through. 

He **had** to.

Before it's too late. 

"INUI, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!"

~ ~ ~

Meanwhile, Inui was taking a solitary stroll along the dank field, lost in deep thought. His hands were shoved deep into his uniform pockets, his abstracted gaze raking the wires surrounding the field. To him, they appeared like dried-up veins. 

There were a thousand things he wanted to tell Kaidou. 

But he just could **not** bring himself to.

Why?

"Inui."

Inui felt as if his heart was shattering; disintegrating into pieces. Have you forgotten that you had always called me 'senpai' before I told you about how I felt for you? Half-heartedly, he turned to face the person whom he knew well. Whose voice he often heard during his lonely moments. 

It hurt to look at Kaidou now. It hurts so much.

Kaidou wouldn't understand what was coming to him. 

Wouldn't be able to.

Inui could only stare blankly as Kaidou hurled papers all over the ground in front of him. "Look! I can't believe even my own class did this to me! …Are you even listening?!" A thought struck Kaidou, and he narrowed his eyes. "Come to think of it, it just stems right to you, doesn't it, Inui? You're the one who made it this way.

"What the hell do you, care? You don't understand how I feel right now, do you? You're just another one of those selfish, self-centered bastards who wouldn't care a damn thing about others. To hell with everyone else just as long as you're happy – is that what's going through that demented head of yours?" The words ripped from Kaidou's mouth, his tone acerbic.

Inui merely gazed levelly at him without saying anything. 

Kaidou looked away from him. "I think it was a bloody shame that I met you. You've screwed up my life, and I suggest you might as well go ahead and screw up your own. Hell, you probably already **did**, am I wrong? That's why you're a helpless queer. Let me get one thing straight – I don't give a damn about your sexual preference; just don't get **me** involved because I. DESPISE. YOU."      

Inui let the other man walk away. Nothing mattered to him anymore. 

Nothing.

His eyes fell on one of the tiny papers lying forgotten on the ground before him. Despite what was written on it, although he could read out what the word was perfectly, a smile would not form on his face. 

~ ~ ~

"Tezuka!"

The grim captain turned when he heard his name being called. "Oh. Fuji. Nanda?"

Fuji presented an enigmatic smile. "I wanted to ask you if you would come with me to the bar after school."

A blank stare. "A bar…?" Tezuka repeated slowly, wondering if his ears were working right. Fuji asking him out to a bar? Okay. This kind of thing certainly didn't happen every day. "What for?" That didn't sound too blunt now, did it…? Tezuka bit back the worry, which had risen within him. He shot a quick glance at the other guy. Naw.

Fuji's smile only widened. "It's a secret. I'll tell you later. I've got to go to the Chemistry lab right now for some leftover project. Things. Here." Fuji thrust a small paper into Tezuka's flaccid hand. "Ja, ne." He disappeared around the corner, leaving Tezuka staring after him, nonplussed. The captain fixed his gaze onto the paper. It wrote 'Meet me at the school entrance gate as soon as the bell goes.' 

I wonder why he wants me to go to a bar… Tezuka stared blankly at the paper he held. What kind of bar did he mean?

~ ~ ~

As soon as the bell rang, indicating the dismissal of school, Tezuka walked toward the school gates. Fuji was already there, waiting for him. 

The moment Fuji caught sight of the Seigaku captain, a smile spread across his face, and waved enthusiastically to him. 

"Tezukaaa!" Fuji called, happily. 

Tezuka rolled his eyes, and gestured with his hand that he was coming. "What?" he said when he stopped in front of the other young man.   

"Quick, let's go." Fuji grabbed Tezuka's hand, pulling him out of the gates.

Tezuka let out a surprised sound as Fuji dragged him away.

~ ~ ~

" . . . . . "

"Well?" Fuji smiled brilliantly, tossing his bag over the stool beside his. "Nice place, isn't it?"

Tezuka glanced over his shoulder bleakly. Men. Men. Men. Figures. Tezuka turned his head back. He was still in a shocked state. "It's . . . okay." He inhaled a deep breath. "Fuji."

"Hmm?" Fuji turned to him with an alluring smile. 

"Could you at least tell me the reason we're here?" The tone was dry, impassive.

"No, not yet. You'll soon see for yourself." Fuji whirled to face the bartender. "Mister, two vodkas please." 

Tezuka made a face. "I don't drink vodka." 

A grin made its way over Fuji's visage. "I know."

"So?"

"So I'd thought you might try one." Fuji gracefully slid a glass toward the other man just as the bartender placed their drinks onto the counter.

"How very thoughtful of you," Tezuka muttered, accepting it. He watched mutely as Fuji took a deep swig of his own drink. He finished half off with a single swallow.

"You've drunk this before?" Tezuka was taken aback. 

"No." Fuji lowered his glass onto the counter. "My first time."

Tezuka could only stare.

"HHOY!!!"

Tezuka started a bit. What the hell? Which crazy monkey has entered the bar now? Wait… That voice is… His eyes darted over to the entrance of the bar. 

"FUJIII!!" With a blink of an eye, an energized redhead landed on Fuji, almost knocking him flat. "I'M HERE~!"

Oishi shook his head. "One hyper overload redhead on the loose."

I can see that. Guess I don't mind drinking now. Tezuka lifted his glass and took a light sip. Yucks.

"Tezuka-buchou!" 

Tezuka winced, either from the sudden jolt of pain in his head or the voice. "What?"

"Ano nee… ano nee… ya know what?"

Tezuka faced him blankly. "No, I don't know anything, so you might as well tell me."

"Tezuka, I didn't know you were, uh, here," Oishi asserted quietly.   

"Neither did I." The captain forced himself to imbibe all his vodka, and set his glass down a little unsteadily. "One moment I was at the school gates and the next moment, I found myself in this crappy bar."

Fuji frowned a bit, disappointed. "Crappy?"

"But it's the only place we could think of to celebrate Fuji and my A grades for World History!" whined Kikumaru.

Tezuka shot Fuji a rather bleary look. "That's the secret?"

Fuji merely smiled.

"Oh." Tezuka pulled his gaze away. 

"More?" Fuji inquired.

"Huh?"

"Vodka."

"Okay."

"Two refills, please," Fuji told the bartender.

"Hey, I want a drink too!" Kikumaru piped up. "Let's see… Can I have a beer? I've never tried it."

Oishi gave him a piercing look. "No, Eiji."

"Yes!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"If you pass out dead drunk right here, don't expect me to puppet you all the way home."

"Meanie~" 

"Maybe a light drink for Eiji wouldn't hurt." said Fuji.

Oishi sighed. "Fine."

Fuji ordered another vodka as Kikumaru whooped for joy, and elbowed an aggrieved Oishi in the ribs. 

"Yay!! I scored for my World History, Oishi~! I deserve it, don't I??" Kikumaru proceeded to chortle insanely.

This is gonna be a looong day, thought Tezuka.

* * *


	9. Act 9: Sinking Into The Furnace Of Love

Notes:  This chapter's up fast, huh? ^_^; And… *stares in disbelief at her reviews* Oh My God. O.O *glomps the life out of her reviewers*  Thank you!!!  Love love love you guys!!! *^v^* This (kinda)long chapter is for all of you.  Yep.  And don't kill me. ^^;; *sweats*  I'm just following the storyline…  Yeh, lame excuse, I know. -_-; 

For those who asked how the hell they got into the bar, well, it's an illegal one.  But with a crappy fic like this, I guess anything stupid could happen, like, if I make them jump off the cliff, they'd jump right off the cliff.  Makes no sense, huh?  *pulls her hair out in frustration*  Arrgh!  Let's just say I ate too much cheese just now, so my mind's not working right.  X_X 

**A warning (!)** This chapter will contain lime - not that there weren't any in the previous chapters… ^^; Just a little more detailed. The pairings? Gah, okay I'll tell... It's Tezuka/Fuji & a bit of Oishi/Kikumaru. Um, no Inui/Kaidou fluff or anything this time though, must build up the tension… ^^ Right… I'm done with my ramblings. *scuttles off* 

**Act 9:  Sinking Into The Furnace Of Love (Awakening desire) **

The watch clasped around Oishi's wrist ticked away mercilessly.  It showed forty minutes past five in the evening. 

_How long had they been in the bar?_, he wondered distantly.  His mind felt like it was full of haze.  He noted at the back of his mind that being in this bar had got something to do with it.  And the blaring jazz music fused with classical flowing endlessly from the jukebox was making his head throb relentlessly like a massive heartbeat.  From the corner of his eyes, he could see Kikumaru 'rampaging' around excitedly with a half-empty glass of sherry in hand. 

_He's obviously drunk_, Oishi thought, shaking his head inwardly. _Heaven save us all.    _

Fuji and Tezuka still seemed to be sane though.  Maybe a tad clumsy, but that was all.  Fuji was blinking unfocusedly at his own wineglass, which appeared to be hovering between his fingers.  Beside him, Tezuka sat with a hand wrapped around his temples, elbow resting against the counter, his eyes closed as if in private peace.

Oishi realized he was the only one who hadn't touched even a single drink. 

_Which is a good thing_, he reminded himself.  _One of us has to stay alert in case there is any damage of any kind.  _Oishi would have fallen asleep due to boredom if it weren't for a certain drunken redhead yelling incoherently at the corner of the bar. 

Kikumaru approached the bartender, and held out his empty glass.  "More . . ."  He hiccupped.  But before the bar man could take the glass, Oishi swiftly plucked it out of Kikumaru's grasp. 

"Enough." said Oishi sternly. 

"Noooo~"  Kikumaru threw himself against his best friend(A/N: Heh…body contact ^^), trying in vain to grab the glass back.  Oishi held it out of his reach. 

"Oishi~  Give it to me~  Please~"

Oishi blinked incredulously.  _What did he just-  _He mentally shook his head to clear away the disturbing thought.  "No, Eiji.  You've drank enough for the day.  Drink any more, and your head will hit the floor."

Kikumaru spared him a disappointed look, and began hitting Oishi's chest lightly with curled fists.  "It's not fair, it's not fair, itsnotfairitsnotfair . . .!"  He stopped, sobbing a little. 

Oishi felt a pang of guilt, but it vanished soon after.  _Whatever that needs to be done, has to be done_, he stated in his mind.  Oishi turned to Tezuka, who still had his eyes shut.

"Tezuka, I'll send Eiji home now.  You sure you can manage . . .?"

The captain's thin lips parted slightly, and all that came out was a low 'Aa.'

Oishi nodded comprehendingly. 

"Hey, youngman."

Oishi whirled to see the bartender gesturing for money with his fingers. 

"Oh."  He fumbled his uniform pocket for some cash, and produced a few dollars.  "Here."

"Thanks, bud.  G'luck with yer lil' drunken friend."  The man gave him a thumbs-up.

Oishi pulled on a weak smile.  "Er… thank you."  _Does he even know what he's saying?  _Without further ado, he helped Kikumaru walk out of the bar.

" . . . Fuji."  The word escaped Tezuka's mouth.

Fuji wearily pushed his glass away.  "Hm…?"

Tezuka reached up and loosened his collar, which had become tight all of a sudden.  "Shall we go?"

"Mn."

_I guess I'm not as drunk as I thought_, Tezuka mused, getting up from his stool.  He glanced over to where the fairly large amount of wineglasses containing not even a drop of liquid lay, in front of Fuji.

"Never thought you're such a drinker."  Tezuka motioned towards the glasses. 

Fuji tried to smile normally.  "Do I look okay to you?"

"You seem fine." 

A relieved grin brightened the smaller man's features.  "Thanks."  His visions blurred, and he passed out.

"Fuji?!"

~ ~ ~

"Jingle pellz, jingle pellz, jingle all the mwayyy~" Kikumaru slurred, chuckling as he did so.  People who were walking nearby shot weird glances at them.

Oishi sighed.  Celebrating in a bar definitely **was** a baaad idea...  "Eiji," he whispered, "It's not Christmas season; get a grip on yourself!" 

"Mmhkay . . ."

Right.  No use speaking to him at this state…   

As they passed some shops, something caught Kikumaru's eyes.  "Heaven On Earth," he read from a small signboard in front of a motel.  "Look, Oishi~!  It's Heaven On Earth!  Let'z go in an' check it out!" 

Oishi looked at the signboard in confusion.  _Heaven On Earth?  _He glanced up at the motel.  There was a hot pink banner flashing continuously at the side of it.  It took quite a moment for Oishi to figure out what it was, and he flushed bright crimson when it occurred to him that it was a love motel.  Seeing his redheaded friend marching past the entrance, Oishi panicked.  Without thinking, he lunged for him, grabbing his hand. 

"E-Eiji, wherever we are, we're definitely going toward the wrong direction."  The blush wouldn't wear off.  Damn.  

Kikumaru pouts.  "But it's **heaven**!  That means som'thin goood, rite??" 

_Oh God, how am I gonna pull this off? _Oishi's mind raced.  "It's, er, not uh… a place for us. Yeah."  He was sweating profusely. 

Disappointment clouded Kikumaru's eyes.  "That's so unfair~!" he wailed.  "Why can others go to Heaven On Earth and **we** can't?!" 

_Stay calm… Stay calm…  _"Because . . . Because it's not what you think."  _God, that was so lame!  _"Bad things happen… in there."  

Kikumaru lurched forward towards the obscene motel, still being held back by Oishi.  "BUT. I. WANNA. SEE. WHAT. IS. IN. THERE."

_This is so **not** good.  _"I'll treat you ice-cream!" 

Kikumaru's eyes lit up at that, and he abruptly turned around to face Oishi, causing the latter to fall back at the momentum.  "Really??" 

Oishi sweatdropped.  _It seems being drunk doesn't stop Eiji from sparkling at the sound of sweets…  _He pulled himself up, and brushed off the dust off his clothes.  "Yes." 

"Yaaaaay~!"  Kikumaru threw his arms around the other man happily.  "I love you, Oishi~!!!" 

A small blush colored Oishi's cheeks, and he turned his gaze downward in an attempt to conceal it.  "Um…so…"  He gently pried Kikumaru's hands off himself, and hurried away from the motel without looking up.  "Let's go." 

The redhead grinned, a little foolishly, but to Oishi, it was . . . cute.

"You'll have one too, won't 'cha?"

Oishi blinked.  "Have?"

"An ice-cream, silly."

"Oh.  …Sure."

_Well…at least I've taken his attention off that motel... _

~ ~ ~

"Fuji.  Oi, Fuji.  We've reached your house." 

Tezuka heaved a sigh.  Fuji wasn't moving, in fact, he wasn't moving at all.  People would think Tezuka was carrying a dead person or something.

"Fuji!"

"Mmmh." 

At least he got a response.  "Do you have your house keys with you?"

" . . . . "

Tezuka felt inside Fuji's pocket. 

_Okay._  _It's there._

He fished the keys out, and unlocked the door.  When they had got in, the captain took the trouble to carry Fuji up the stairs to his room, and lowered him down on the bed.  He studied Fuji's perfectly sculpted face, which was flushed an intense shade of red, his eyelashes fluttering ever so slightly. 

_By Lord, he's beautiful…  _Tezuka lifted his hand and brushed a strand of Fuji's translucent brown hair out of his face.  Fuji's arm came up, and wrapped itself around Tezuka's neck, bringing their faces closer.  Tezuka stiffened in shock as he felt Fuji's body pressed against his own. 

"Stay…here… Tezuka… Don't… leave…" 

Tezuka merely stilled under the other man's hold, struck by surprise.  Their faces were painfully close; it was pure torture to the captain.  Fuji's eyes were still shut, but he threw his head back, exposing his throat.  For a moment, Tezuka simply stared at the breath-taking sight before him, then found his own lips slowly descending on the column of Fuji's throat.  He fastened his lips onto the soft skin, and began to suck gently, eliciting soft moans from the smaller man.  Tezuka knew he shouldn't be doing this, knew that Fuji wasn't fully conscious . . . but . . . 

_God, help me…  I can't control myself…  Fuji…  _

~ ~ ~

Kaidou kicked absentmindedly at a stray rock lying on the road as he walked.  What happened earlier between him and Inui had disturbed him for God knows how long.  He hadn't been able to concentrate in class after lunch, and he hadn't eaten anything – his appetite was lost.  Deep down inside, Kaidou hated himself for saying those horrid things to Inui, for blaming him.  He knew that he did that just so Inui wouldn't approach him again. 

Not ever.

It was for their own good. …Right?   

"Hey! Fag!"

Kaidou blinked.  Was he too hooked up in his own thoughts to even notice a guy standing in front of him?

Putting on an impassive expression, Kaidou looked up unwillingly.  A young man around the age of sixteen came into his view.  Kaidou recognized him as one of the infamous bullies in his school. 

_What does he want?_, thought Kaidou abstractedly. 

The bully placed a foot in the Viper's way to block him.  "You know what I want. Spit it out, before I take action on you."  The guy gave him a vicious smile.  "Fag."

_So he knows it too_, Kaidou realized dully.  Like he care anymore.  "I don't have any." 

"Oh, really?"  The bully flexed his fists.  "So you're sayin' you're ready to receive some torture from the ol' guy?"

Kaidou wasn't in the mood to fight.  "Try if you dare," was his only response.

* * *

Notes: Bleh.  A cliffhanger?  ^^;  Um so, that was the first crappy lime.  Yeesh.  Anywhoo, my idiotic Monthly test is just lurking around the corner.  _  Let's hope the next update won't be too delayed, hm?  


	10. Act 10: A Friend In Need

Notes: Yeah… Firstly, a thousand apologies for the verrrrry late update. I finally got off my lazy ass and wrote more. I wrote this whole chap last night around…err, 12 a.m.? ;; This chapter will be slightly Kaidou-centric 'coz we all want his problems to be solved quickly, right? Right.

**Act 10: A Friend In Need** **(Kaidou's agony)**

A sharp pain pierced through his veins as he received a blow from the bully, and he fell backwards onto the ground. His bare arm scraped painfully against hard rocks. Kaidou felt as if half of his weight was gone, and he felt frail and light-headed.

"What's tha matter? Can't fight right, can you? All that big talk–"

A hand gripped Kaidou's shoulder from behind, and he whirled around, expecting to see another enemy. He was stunned to see that it was a member of the Seigaku team, and furthermore, his rival. "Momoshiro. . .?"

The spiky-haired guy offered him a knowing grin. "Need a hand?"

Kaidou couldn't make himself answer.

Before he could register the situation, Momoshiro had landed a hard punch into the enemy's face, which sent the latter staggering backwards, and finally running off.

He turned to the Viper. "You alright?" Kind-hearted as he naturally is, he helped Kaidou up. "That's some nasty bruises you've got. We'd better get you home and nurse them."

Kaidou was silent for a minute. ". . . I thought you hated me," he finally muttered, looking at his visage as if searching for a clue.

Momoshiro didn't surprised in the least. "I do."

The Viper looked away, realizing he had nothing to say to that.

"But I can't leave a friend in trouble when he needs help, can I?"

Kaidou attempted to mask his utter surprise. He hadn't expected that.

All this while unbeknownst to him, there had actually been someone who saw him as a friend.

- - -

"Nii-chan, who's that?" asked Kaidou's younger brother, who had just emerged from the dining room and noticed Momoshiro's presence.

Wincing under the sharp tingling heat of the warm towel on his bruises, Kaidou gritted out, " Someone you wouldn't want to know."

As Momoshiro sent him a fairly annoyed glare, Kaidou said, "Err… a friend. Name's Momoshiro."

Momoshiro grinned amiably at the kid. "Hey, bud. Y'can call me Momo."

"Nice to meet you," the boy nodded. His attention averted to Kaidou's still fresh wounds. "What happened to your arm, Nii-chan? Did you fall down again?"

Kaidou hissed angrily, but did not say anything otherwise and concentrated on tending the wounds instead.

Momoshiro chuckled. "Naw, he just got attacked by a couple of stray dogs out on the street. Apparently, they couldn't resist 'coz his blood smelled like molasses."

"Stop being a clown, dammit!" came Kaidou's enraged voice.

Momoshiro raised his hands. "Okay, okay. Chill out a little, will ya? You're gonna scare even the sharks away with your temper."

The boy blinked, confused. "Well I'm going upstairs to finish my homework now."

"Kayz, see ya, kiddo!" Momoshiro sang out, enthusiastically.

"Laters." The boy took one last look at his brother. "Don't cry, Nii-chan."

"The hell I would!" yelled Kaidou. A stab of pain ran through his limbs. "Ow!"

Momoshiro tsked, watching him with pity. "What a sad sight you are."

"Just. Shut. Up."

"Fine." Momoshiro strode towards the window, and gazed out at the lawn. "I just can't figure out how Inui-senpai could even stand you."

Kaidou's heart immediately went cold. A moment passed as he remained speechless. Then, in a disturbing low tone, he said, "What about him?"

"Hmm?" Momoshiro turned to look at him. The latter's expression had changed into a darker intensity.

"You . . . knew." It didn't sound like a question like Kaidou intended it to be.

Momoshiro shrugged evenly. "Yeah. I think everyone did."

Kaidou shut his eyes, and inhaled several deep breaths. _Okay… Prepare for the worst, Kaidou…_he told himself. "When did you know?"

Momoshiro shifted, looking uncomfortable. "Just recently."

"Who told you?"

"It was gossiped around. I'm sure you've heard–"

"Who was the bastard who started it?" Kaidou cut him off.

"I don't know. I just . . ." Momoshiro glanced into the Viper's eyes, and saw anguish in them. ". . . knew."

Kaidou sighed profoundly, and buried his face in his hands, willing the frustration to abate.

It wouldn't.

"Ano . . . Mamushi?"

"Are you going to call me a filthy fag too?" Kaidou removed his hands from his face to look at Momoshiro from the sofa.

The other man seemed taken-aback by the ruthlessness of Kaidou's voice. The expression was replaced by one of sympathy. "No. No, I just wanted to say that . . . if there's anything bothering you, you can always tell me."

Kaidou snorted. "So you can laugh about it?"

"I wouldn't . . ."

"I don't know. A hell lot of things are bothering me right now. Schoolwork, for instance."

"That's not really the thing that's clouding up your mind, is it?" Momoshiro, inquired, doubtful. "It's about Inui-senpai."

"I don't want to hear that friggin' name."

"Kaidou, exactly what the heck is going on?"

"Fetch me more hot water, will you? The water's gone cold."

"Don't avoid the goddamn subject!" Momoshiro's tone was sharp and persistent.

Kaidou's eyes met his, and Momoshiro saw something he never used to see in the Viper's eyes: helplessness.

A long silence hung the air before Kaidou spoke up, "It's me. I'm the one who's all wrong."

Momoshiro blinked. "Huh?"

Kaidou wouldn't face him. "I'm weird, okay? I can't think right whenever that bastard's around. I get all hot and twitchy whenever he's near me. I have this . . . this unconventional melting feeling inside of me when he . . . _kisses_ me. And my head'll start spinning . . ." He broke off, realizing that his voice was wavering. "I . . . don't know what to do anymore. I _loathe_ him for making me feel like this!" Grasping his hair with both hands, Kaidou began to sob quietly.

He was surprised to feel Momoshiro's form embracing him, and a warm hand stroking his back in a soothing motion.

"I understand," Momoshiro said, gently.

Kaidou closed his eyes and let the silent tears run free. He could not remember when he had last said the words but he made sure they were heard this time.

". . . Thank you."

Notes: I know, I know. You all are gonna start pounding me for making this chapter bloody short but I. am. continuing. No complains there, right? ducks flying chairs


End file.
